As I sit here and write, it’s snowing outside. Winter has arrived in full force. This is actually our third snow up here in Maine and hopefully we’ll have many more. I love the stuff and every time I look outside, I develop an odd craving for soup. As I’ve mentioned before, winter is soup season and now that my wood stove is nice and hot, I can cook on top of it all day long.
The Recipe
As I was enjoying this wonderful vegetarian split-pea soup last night, I looked over to Laura and said, “This was a snap to make. I really have no problem with making this much more often.” That’s the truth. This soup is so easy to put together (and healthy) that there’s absolutely no excuse for not keeping it on our menu. It’s just vegetables and veggie broth. A few herbs and some salt and pepper. And the cooking method is super simple. That’s actually the best part. The entire thing is prepared and ready to go before you even know it.
I would characterize this soup as a standard, tradition style. There’s nothing crazy about it and it’s not going to floor you with overwhelming taste. It’s split-pea soup, after all. This is a down-home, cozy, robust dish that you can curl up on the couch with. Find yourself a nice high sided bowl and get ready to watch your favorite TV show. Eat what you have in your hands and then get ready for some leftovers. The leftovers are the best part.
Ingredients
Serves: 8
3 Cups Dried Split Peas
3 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
7 Carrots, Trimmed and Cut into 1/2 Inch Rounds
2 Sweet Onions, Trimmed, Peeled and Chopped
1 1/2 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, Cut into 1/2 Inch Pieces
2 Green Bell Peppers, Trimmed, Cleaned and Chopped
3 Celery Stalks, Cut into 1/2 Inch Pieces
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Teaspoons Garlic, Minced
4 Quarts Vegetable Broth
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Martha Stewart for this recipe. Even though I changed things up a bit, she truly was my inspiration.
Prep the Vegetables
Before I did anything else, I went ahead and prepped all the ingredients. I started off by trimming and cutting the carrots. I didn’t peel them this time because I’m experimenting with not peeling carrots to see what happens. I’m really not a fan of wasting so much of the vegetable.
After that, I cut up the potatoes and then celery.
And finally, as far as the fresh vegetables go, I cut up the onions and the green bell peppers.
For the dried split peas, I simply measured them out and put them in a bowl.
Cook the Soup
In a large pot (large enough to hold all the liquid and vegetables), add all the vegetables, the dried split peas and the olive oil. Warm the pot to medium-high and cook, while stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. The goal here is to add a bit of a brown to the edges of the vegetables. This will help out with the flavors later on.
After that, add the thyme and the garlic, stir and cook for another two minutes. Finally, add the broth, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
To fully cook the soup, raise the heat to high until the liquid begins to boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes. After this time, you may season it with salt and pepper to taste. The soup is finished.
Plate & Serve
Divide the soup between bowls and serve. If you want, you can add some shredded Parmesan cheese and some chopped parsley to it for enhanced flavor. Enjoy!
The Final Split-Pea Soup
I told you this was easy. These really are my favorite types of recipes. They offer a nice wholesome meal along with enough for the rest of the week. If you decide to give this soup a try, please let me know your thoughts down in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
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